


"Something like that"

by Memessavedme



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Short, Short One Shot, The Upside Down
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:00:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21577963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Memessavedme/pseuds/Memessavedme
Summary: It's now winter and Steve can't forget what happened that summer night at the Starcourt Mall.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Kudos: 40





	"Something like that"

The winter nights had finally began to creep their way into Steve's upstairs bedroom. No heating or layers of blankets could scare the cold away that night. It had been a long day, early shift at Family Video and then a long lecture from his father about " _Doing something more with your life"_. 

By the time it was dark all he wanted was to crawl into his bed and hide, hide from what his life had become. If he was being honest he tried his best to blame the night he rushed into the Byers to find flashing lights and monsters who steal little boys but he knew that wasn't why he didn't get into college or why he hadn't left Hawkins to find something to do in life.

Ever since Starcourt Mall his nights had been filled with more nightmares than normal, he was used to being chased by demidogs and other horrific creatures his subconscious had created but he sure wasn't prepared for Billy Hargrove to be there. 

He wasn't ready to see Billy being ripped apart by those monsters, to see his face go cold, to see the life drain from his eyes infront of him. Watching his body hit the floor that night left a ripple effect because now every night he saw it. No matter what his mind conjured up it would end with Billy hitting the floor and his body going limp, leaving Steve to wake up crying in a cold sweat.

It didn't make sense, he had avoided him while he was alive because he couldn't deal with what he felt, so why was he plaguing his dreams? It wasn't until Robin came out to him that he thought it through properly.

His entire life he'd been told that if you liked boys that something was wrong with you, that you were against nature, not normal but Robin wasn't wrong. Robin was, well Robin but she liked girls. After that he had an idea, an idea that he knew he would have never actually attempted but it felt like a breath of fresh air to even hypothesize it.

He was going to find Billy and test the waters, Steve was pretty sure Billy liked boys but more than he did and that's why he ended up in Hawkins. Rumours had been spread but no one was brave enough to say anything to his face, not when they'd get his fist to there's.

Except even the opportunity for that was ripped from his grasp the same day as Billy stood up to that thing and lost his life for it. He was too late to even try and that haunted Steve. It haunted him everytime he was alone or it got too quiet. 

The next day as he tidied the counter at work the smell of cologue filled the air. Without even thinking Steve rushed from behind the desk and through the aisles to find no one was there. "Billy?". He whispered to himself and there it was again, that smell. The same smell he couldn't get off of himself that night he got his ass handed to him at the Byers. Billy.

"Hey! Idiot, it's your lunch break". Robin shouted strolling back into the shop. "Hey, Steve".

"Yeah, okay". He replied and turned to face her. 

"Holy shit, you look like you've seen a ghost".

"Yeah, something like that". He couldn't think properly. His mind was running faster than he could keep up with but he managed to go in the back and find his lunch. Except he smelt it back there too. 

By the end of his shift he'd decided it was just him. Maybe he'd walked past someone who wore the same cologne and it stuck with him. That was the only explanation. _Right?_

He closed the store that evening so Robin could get away early. Which he very quickly regretted as he slid into the drivers seat of his car and the silence of the night filled he air. Not a soul in sight.

As he pulled out onto the road he switched on the radio, anything to fill the lack of noise. Something to distract him from thinking of that smell, which had disappeared soon after his break.

When he pulled into his drive he noticed the front lights flickering, which sent a shiver down his spine. He couldn't move. It stopped and he rushed out of his car and inside. Except once he was inside the living room lamp started to do the same thing and then the main light until the phone rang. Absolutely terrified Steve walked over and picked it up.

"Steve?". Someone answered.

"Who is this?".

"It's Billy". The phone turned red hot in Steve's hand causing him to drop it. What was once cream was now charred black and the line was dead.

"Billy?". He said out loud and there it was again, the smell. "Holy shit, are you in the upside down?".

The lamp flickered. 

In some sort of panic he ran out to his garden and past the pool towards the woods, he ran until he couldn't see the pool lights and looked around for the portal Nancy had told him about. Except of course it wasn't there. It hadn't been open since Nancy herself had gotten stuck inside.

Now freezing he made his way home but when he stepped onto the tiles surrounding the pool he noticed something, his bedroom light was on. 

Steve ran inside and upstairs to find his bedroom door open with every light switched on. "Is this you?". 

Nothing happened. 

At some point he must have fell asleep in his chair because at around 3am he was woken up by someone walking around downstairs. He grabbed the hammer he kept by his bed and slowly made his way towards the kitchen. 

When he approached the doorway he saw the silhouette of a man standing over the sink, not moving. He seemed to be leaning on the counter top for support as if he couldn't stand up on his own.

"Why are you in my house?". Steve asked trying to sound as threatening as possible but when he switched the light on he almost dropped the hammer because standing in his kitchen was a dead man.

"Excuse me for needing a drink". He replied and turned around.

"What the fuck". Steve was in shock but then it all started to make sense. The smell, the lights and the phone. _But how the hell did he get back?_

For a moment they looked at eachother. Then Steve rushed over and took the goo and dirt covered Billy in his arms. Something he had never done or thought he would never do. "You're alive". He almost began to cry but stopped himself because in that moment he didn't care how he'd ended up back here, all he could think of was a second chance.

"Barely". Billy smiled as Steve backed away, hand still on his arm like he'd disappear if he let go of him. "Miss me or something, Pretty Boy?"

"Something like that". Steve smiled and for a moment the silence of the night was actually nice for the first time in a very long time because standing infront of Steve was a whole new opportunity and for Billy a whole new chance to live a life worth living.


End file.
